Page 18 of Fear of Flying
But then Zach was pulling away, groaning. “Ugh, she’s calling now,” he grumbled.
Trying to focus on Zach’s words and breathe at the same time was a challenge. “Y-you... should... get that?”
Zach’s hand slipped back all the way to Drew’s knee as he sat back against the couch with a huff. It made it a bit easier to think, but god, he didn’t want to stop.
“Yeah,” Zach said hesitantly. “She’ll just keep calling. She worries.”
“It’s okay! Really,” Drew assured him, trying to make his smile just as reassuring even though his whole body was still reeling and dazed. “Answer.”
Zach took a deep breath as he dug his phone out of his cargo pants, hit the answer button, and brought the phone to his ear. “Hey, Jen.”
Drew couldn’t hear what exactly was being said this time, but he definitely heard her voice and her tone—slightly loud and clearly worried.
“I know, sorry. Things were... Yeah, all the flights were canceled, just like you saw on the news. I... we... There’s a hotel inside the airport... Yeah, I... have a room for the night... Yep, he... does too... I’m not sounding cagey! Okay, okay, hang on.” Zach looked over at Drew, a nervous grimace on his face, and said, “She wants to talk to you.”
“Oh, okay, um . . .”
“God, I’m sorry, she’s just... No! I wasn’t about to say that! Hang on... Yeah, okay... hang on!” Zach’s brow furrowed in some adorably apologetic way, and despite the knot now forming in his stomach and the fact that it didn’t really sound like Jen was giving them a choice, Drew nodded.
Drew was fully expecting to take the phone from Zach, but instead, he watched with anxious eyes as Zach pressed the button to convert it to a video call. And without more warning than that, he was greeted by a brunette with wide green eyes and a squarish face.
“Holy FUCK, he’s hot!”
“JEN!!” Zach hissed at her.
Drew felt his face flood with heat and saw his cheeks go deep pink on the image at the bottom right of the screen. “H-hi...” he said, possibly without squeaking, but he really couldn’t be sure at the moment.
“Oh my god, Jen, just... stop staring.” Zach looked at Drew and mouthed, “I’m so sorry!”
His heart raced with something quite different than desire this time as he shifted his eyes back to the phone screen. God, someone else knew now. Another someone besides his family and Zach. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He would live through this. He would.
“Drew, right?” Jen asked, making Drew feel like he was in the hot seat on one of those prime-time interview shows.
Drew nodded.
“You promise me you’re not a serial killer and you won’t kill my friend?”
Drew looked at her in horror. “No? GOD, I mean yes! Yes, I promise you I’m not a serial killer, and no, I won’t kill your friend.”
“JEN!!!” Zach hissed again.
“Hush, I’m just looking out for you!” she directed at Zach, then shifted her gaze back to Drew, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head this way and that as though she was fully appraising the truth of his answer. “Okay, I believe you,” she said matter-of-factly with a quick nod of her head. “Zach, text me when you have your flight info, alright?”
Zach turned the phone back fully on himself. “Yep, will do,” he said, and it was almost like Drew could feel the tension and embarrassment coming off of Zach. Or shit, that was probably just Drew’s own.
“Love you,” Jen said.
“Love you too even though I low-key hate you right now,” Zach said.
Drew bit back a laugh.
“Later!” Jen said.
Zach thumbed the button to end the call and then tossed the phone toward the end of the couch. He groaned and buried his face in his hands, his next words coming out mumbled. “Kill me now.”
“I literally just promised Jen that I wouldn’t!”
Zach looked up, meeting Drew’s eyes for only a second before they both burst into laughter. It was only when he needed to breathe minutes later that Drew was finally able to calm himself. He glanced over at Zach beside him, and his heart stuttered. God, Zach’s eyes... They glistened with tears and sparkled with something that looked a whole lot like joy...